Grateful Dead

March 3 - March 9, 2008

This week, like we’ve done a few times so far in 2008, we’re going to look at a year in Grateful Dead history rather than just this week in Grateful Dead history. Well, two years, really. Rest assured, we’ll get back to our weekly focus soon, but for now, we’re going to listen to some music from 1984 and 1985.

Our first selection this week is from the concert on 4/1/84 at Marin Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium in beautiful San Rafael, California. The band had just played Marin Vets in October, 1983, when they played the final ever St. Stephen, and returned for a final four night run at the tiny venue in Marin for four shows in the Spring of 1984. This final show of the run featured some great material, and we are pleased to play the end of the first set, Big Railroad Blues, Cassidy, Tennessee Jed, My Brother Esau, Don't Ease Me In. This is a classic sequence from 1984 that we thought you’d dig. Well, we sure dig it.

Next up is some music from two weeks later on 4/16/84 in Rochester, NY. From the first set, we have the show-opening Shakedown Street, and from the second set, we have the combination that went into Drums, Far From Me>He’s Gone with a great jam out of He’s Gone, featuring Brent and Bobby hinting at the Other One, which would come out of Space a bit later.

Moving forward a couple of months to the magnificent Red Rocks show on 6/14/84, we have a slew of songs from the first set, specifically Minglewood Blues, Brown Eyed Woman, Jack Straw, Day Job. Like our selection from 4/1/84 heard above, this is a classic 1984 grouping of songs. Later in this show, the band would perform the first-ever Dear Mr. Fantasy, which we played here last year.

We’ll now go forward about a year to 6/27/85 at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, the band’s penultimate show at this magical little venue in upstate New York (they would return one last time, on 6/28/88). This show featured all sorts of shenanigans (“I say, Phil, my dog has no nose.” “No nose? How does he smell” “Blooming awful!”; and, “yo, butch, don’t hang from the balcony!”), plus loads of great music, as heard in this excellent show-opening trio, Midnight Hour, Bertha, Little Red Rooster.

From the Fall Tour of 1985, we have some music from the second set of 11/2/85 in Richmond, VA. The previous night, 11/1/85, with its exceptionally bizarre song list (even by 1985 standards!) makes up Dick’s Picks Vol. 21, but this second night is equally good. From the pre-Drums segment of the show we have Estimated Prophet>Uncle John’s Band>China Doll, and from the post-Drums part of the show, we have Morning Dew>Throwing Stones>Lovelight, Baby Blue. A little more straightforward than the previous night in regards to song selection, but very well played nonetheless.

Check in next week for more great music. Although it’s a mystery to even us here at the Tapers’ Section what we’ll be playing, rest assured we’re digging through the vault to find you some tasty bits to play. Likely some 1973 rarities among other stuff. As always, feel free to write to me at the email address below, always putting something in your subject line to grab my attention (something like “Grateful Dead” is always good). Also, you’ll get separated from the spam nicely that way.

We were staying at the same hotel the Dead were in Saratoga '85. Weir was a few doors down from us. Prior to the gig we were playing a '71 tape with the "My dog has no nose" joke on it. The door to our room was open and Weir was walking by the room as the joke was blaring from our boom box. When he said the joke onstage that night we all lost it. Coincidence,,,,I think not....

What an amazing venue! I remember a huge June sun setting just as the band kicked into Mindnite Hour. The stage was flanked by huge windows you could see the sun through. This really was a great show, one of the best Berthas Ive ever seen.

I have to comment on the "yo Butch, dont hang from the balcony" comment. The upper tier of the Amph had a two foot concrete lip bordered by a railing that kept people off the concrete lip. Of course we all climbed over the rail to dance on the lip. Cant remember what song it was, but this dude was in a hurry to get over the rail and his foot caught the top part of the rail. He soared straight over my shoulder and fell 25 feet into the crowd on the floor. It was a classic Dead moment, we all werent sure what just happened. I swear that guy hit the crowd, stood up, and started dancing! He never missed a beat! Obviously the band saw this guy fall, and thats what instigated the comment from I believe Phil. As the years go on, the way my friends tell the story, they say I pushed him. Not true, he did it all himself, and we were all thankful that nobody got hurt

I think the second night felt like a let down to me because I ran the doors
with about a thousand other people;past
a rearing police horse. The one and only time I ever did it. My nerves were
shattered as I poored cup after cup of expensive beer down my throat. Some snake
at ticketron had printed off a huge pile of bogus tickets. Nice
to hear it again, but folks.........nothing could beat that spelling lesson.

...but bring on the '73 next week! Perhaps that will coincide with the announcement of the Winterland '73 box set? Per the spincds site, it is up for release at the beginning of May. The pre-order of the Fillmore '69 box set was about 2 months prior to release, it seems like this would be the time.

Had to share w you that i intended on writing our beloved band instead of pur beñped , which is what i saw after i previewed and posted the last post .

I just thought of another view point . I own much material of this band . And after hearing the nearly perfect shows that the band puts out as vault releases etc . its clear that there are shows that sound hot in the parking lot , of say a WP show , a Phil & riends etc . I thought , listening to the Shakedown st from Rochester 84 , that the version is ultra hot . But it lacks the elegancy that the shows that have been released officially have . Ponder that viewpoint if you can when hearing the Awesome Shakedown this week

Who's Online

Online users

Newsletter

Get the latest news on Grateful Dead releases and more straight to your inbox.

By submitting your email address you acknowledge and agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and are okay with receiving news, updates, special offers and occasional marketing messages from us and our affiliates.

Newsletter

Get the latest news on Grateful Dead releases and more straight to your inbox.

Signup!

By submitting your email address you acknowledge and agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and are okay with receiving news, updates, special offers and occasional marketing messages from us and our affiliates.